Verdantix North America Commercial Landlord Survey 2021: ESG Strategies

02 Dec, 2021

Access this research

Access all Real Estate Leaders content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report

Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance

Executive Summary

This report analyses the factors driving commercial landlord engagement with the ESG agenda and the focal point of their ESG spending over the next three years. It draws on our recent interviews with 50 owner-operator landlords with office and mixed portfolios conducted between August and September 2021. The survey shows that ESG is quickly rising to become a key priority and a driver of investment practices for commercial landlords. In the next 12 months, landlords will focus investment on building certifications and enhancing carbon targets. Over the longer term, commercial landlords will extend investment across stakeholder ESG reporting and enhance due diligence to processes by incorporating climate change criteria. Commercial landlords should use this report to benchmark their ESG strategies and keep track of fast-evolving sustainability programmes.
Commercial Landlord Interest In ESG Intensifies Over The Past 12 Months 
Commercial Landlord ESG Strategies Are Being Driven by Investor Pressure, Risk Management And Tightening Regulations
Building Certifications And Enhancing Carbon Targets Will Be A Focus For The Next 12 Months  
ESG Investor Reporting And Due Diligence Processes Set For Expenditure Increases In The Longer Term
Figure 1. Factors Driving Commercial Landlords To Enhance The ESG Performance Of Their Real Estate  
Figure 2. Commercial Landlords’ Investment Plans Across Eight Sustainability Initiatives  
Figure 3. Lease Structures Offered By Commercial Landlords  

About the Authors

Susan Clarke

Susan Clarke

Research Director

Susan leads the Verdantix Smart Buildings practice. Her current research agenda focuses on software solutions for real estate management including integrated workplace managem...

Ben Readman

Ben Readman

Industry Analyst

Ben is an Industry Analyst covering the real estate sector, with a focus on data centres and hotels. His core research covers more than 100 vendors in the energy efficiency, s...

View Profile

Other related content

Industry Events
Building Digital Platforms & Operational Tech
Industry Webinar // The Sustainable Fin...

The Sustainable Finance & Investing Forum on November 3-4, 2025 will take place alongside the Greenbuild International Conference + Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Thi...

03 November, 2025

Webinar
Built Environment Energy & Decarbonization
Decarbonizing Your Facilities: What Cor...

35% of real estate and facilities leaders identify ESG, sustainability, and decarbonization as the most influential market trend of 2025. Yet, only 25% rank decarbonizing their por...

Upcoming / 26 November, 2025

Webinar
Built Environment Energy & Decarbonization
How To Break Down Walls In Building Dec...

Buildings account for over one-third of global energy-related carbon emissions, making them a critical focus for decarbonization. Yet for many organizations, the path forward feels...

29 October, 2025

Blog
Real Estate Leaders
How BMS And Digital Twins Are Transform...

UK data centres are expanding rapidly, fuelled by surging AI and cloud demand. Yet this boom faces infrastructure bottlenecks, from grid constraints to cooling limits. The integrat...

23 September, 2025

Webinar
Asset Maintenance Software & Services
Why Software Is The Key To Five-Star Fi...

Our research shows that field service leaders face three critical roadblocks to a superior customer experience: inefficient legacy systems, data silos, and insufficient technolo...

23 October, 2025

Webinar
AEC
Next-Gen CMMS: The Tech Transforming Ma...

Property and facilities leaders are being asked to do more with less — extend asset life, deliver reliable service, and keep tenants satisfied. At the same time, innovations like A...

14 October, 2025